This blog is a place that showcases the hobby in its many and varied games and products. A haven for those of us who want to see more of what the hobby has available and don't want to have to search though the static to find it.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Only when you have painted your starter
box, do you have my permission to die

I'm about four test games into my Cybertronic starter box for Warzone, and I've hit a very unique dilemma with my painting: basically the fact that I can't decide what to do. I've got a handful of paint schemes ready to go, and proofed all of them to try to limit my options... and I've reached the point where I'm turning to the Interwebs for help in making up my mind.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

My original intention was to give one single article that went over all the various special skills you can choose to give your army in Warzone Resurrection. Sadly enough, that can't happen, or it'd be a book- with each faction having between twenty and forty different special skills, there's simply too much to absorb and contrast all at once. Good show, Prodos! Instead, I'm going to devote one article to each, internally comparing and contrasting to other faction's lists when appropriate.

It is unlikely that you'll choose what faction to play solely based on their special skills... although, it is possible. If you want something where you can play the same list regardless of Warlord, Cybertronic is your thing. If you really like taking "off-selection units" that have been swapped from Support to Troops, Capitol is the way to go, and so on. This article series will not only give you insight into what to select for your playstyle, it will also help the more competitively minded gamer to plan ahead for what they will be more likely to encounter in the tournament circuit.

Today we look at the optional special skills you can give Cybertronic: the buffs. For Cybertronic, these points are spent on a "per model" basis- a buff costing 3 points per in a five man unit will cost you 15 points. The benefit to this is that unlike Bauhaus, Capitol, and Mishima, your list is not dependent upon your Warlord, meaning you have greater strategic flexibility in your choices. Also, unlike some of Mishima's, the Brotherhood's, and Dark Legion's choices, nothing in the Cybertronic list requires an Action Point to be spent to utilize, so these special skills do not impact your maneuverability or combat effectiveness. Unlike Mishima, Dark Legion, and Brotherhood (and sometimes Bauhaus), you can't get a "bulk rate" on buying Special Skills "per unit" and must buy model per model. This goes doubly so for Capitol, who can by a special rule army-wide. Unlike Capitol, there's no option to change a unit's OOC slot. Verdict: this list is the most fluid of any Faction. While it is constrained to stat buffs and some limited special skills, diversity, redundancy, and player options make this an easy list to crunch numbers one- and thus, our perfect starting point.

Cybertrronic's special skills are known as Enhancements. Every model may take up to two enhancements, with all models in the squad being required to take the same ones. (A minor caveat: there are a couple which can only be utilized by the Squad Leader, in those cases, he can have two, and everyone else in the squad merely has the other one.) No Enhancements are Warlord dependent- whether you have a Tech, Close Combat, or Ranged warlord you still pull form the same bank of enhancements.

(A quick note on descriptions: I've intentionally left out the costs for each ability, they can be easily found in your rulebook. Some companies are a bit put off by certain things being posted, costs being one of them. If I get a blessing to do it from the Powers That Be, I'll add them back in. Until then, consult your absolutely beautiful rulebook.)

ANNIHILATOR MICRO-DEVICE: this one is for Lords or Squad Commanders only. When the model dies, everything within a small explosive template suffers a St12 AVV 0 autohit. Pros: in a close fight, this might deal the final wound to whatever you're banging on. If you got swarmed by small gribblies, it might do some serious damage to the unit. Cons: see, 3" might sounds like a lot, but let's look at it. It's centered over what in most cases will be a roughly 1 1/2" base. At best you've got a 1" reach to your opponent, and his melee range may well mean he's outside the blast. Verdict: if you can force an engagement with many small models that have to be in range, it can swing a battle. If you can't, these points are best spent elsewhere.

CELL NEOGENESIS ACCELERATOR: this lovely raises your Heal checks by one. Pros: your models stay around longer. If you already have a good heal (either a single model with heal or a squad lead by Dr. Diana) this makes the already good better. Since Heal checks are almost impossible to deny, this can make it very hard for wounds to stick. Cons: this has a 5% chance of affecting any particular check, and will only come up a small number of times during a game. Verdict: it's far more of a psychological weapon than anything else. CNA on The Immortal, for example, means your opponent needs to prepare for the possibility of a Heal (6) check for every wound. That may well give him pause enough to either tap out or overdedicate to threats. Capitalizing on these kinds of mistakes is very Cybertronic- as is forcing them. Unless this is stacked with another buff however, it's limited in scope, and just adding more bodies serves you better.

COMPUBRAIN: +1 LD, and dirt cheap. Pros: Chasseurs, Armored Chasseurs, Mirrormen, and Scorpions gain an inch to unit coherency, and it's price gives it the best "cost to stat boost" ratio available. Cons: you're buffing something Cybertronic has in spades already, so less likely to play a roll. Enhanced Machinators, and Cuirassiers do not see a coherency boost. Verdict: it's never my first choice... but it's always on the table. Unless you know for sure which two buffs you want to put on every Chasseur unit (armored or otherwise), it's cheap enough to feed in at the last minute, often with leftover points.

DERMAL MIRROR SHARDS: models gain Camouflage(1), which can neither be boosted, nor boost any other Camouflage skill. Pros: this stacks your cover bonus with more bonus, and mathematically 1 point harder to hit always trumps one point harder to wound. Cons: Immortal, Enhanced Machinators, and probably Mirrormen laugh at your Camouflage(1). (While Mirrormen do not have the Camouflage rule, smart money would say RAI the Camouflaged Suit will not stack with it. Also, this buff requires you to first have cover to be effective. While that should often be the case, it won't be always. Verdict: for your dedicated ranged units this is a good buy. For anyone else it's personal choice. Sure, there's some merit to close range units having better cover on the way in, but it might serve them better to fight better when they get there.

FEMORAL Enhancements: adds a +1" boost to all Movement Actions. PROS: cheap, and helps your close range units get into position quicker. Cons: it won't help you fight any better once you get there, and 1" is unlikely to shorten your trip by a whole action point. Verdict: 1 inch might not always make a difference, but it might give you a charge over your opponent or get you to cover instead of being open. Play with it to see if it suits you: I found it didn't, your mileage may vary.

MITOCHONDRIAL INFUSION: +1St in Close combat. Pros: hurt things, and about half the cost of Weapons Overhaul. Models with a RoA of 2 or better (Mirrormen, Attila, Machinators, Scorpion, Voltigeur, literally get double the benefit for the money. Cons: for Chasseurs you're better off adding a model, and for Armored Chasseurs it's questionable at best. Verdict: situationally awesome or unnecessary. If you have the points to spend to make hammers, the fact that this stacks with Weapons Overhaul & unit upgrades can be deadly: heat sword mirrormen with St14 swings and St18 Machinators are no joke.

MYELIN IRONISATION: +1 Wp. Pros: cheap, stacks with Resistance to Dark Symmetry. Cons: if the +4 wasn't enough, +5 probably won't do it either. Verdict: if you know you're going to be playing against Dark Legion or Brotherhood ("the other Dark Legion") a lot, it could be beneficial. Especially against Brotherhood where we have no bonus...but honestly our Willpower is pretty high to begin with.

OPTICAL ENHANCEMENT: +1 RS. For half the cost of Sonicator Receptor Array. Pros: stacks with Sonicator if you wanted the +3 RS to make sure you never miss, or with the Weapons Cyber-Link for a +1 always, +4 when aiming bonus. Cons: this one is pricey for medium and larger bases, and not cost effective for smaller ones. Verdict: Chasseurs (regular or armored) are better off mathematically adding a bloke. Aside from possibly the Attila, Scorpion, and EDD, everything else should get stuck in. Math just isn't in this guy's favor.

QUADRIPLEGIC RETRO-ENHANCEMENT: Free Jump range is increased by one. Pros: cheap. Cons: make sure the one inch makes a difference. Verdict: if your table's terrain can be safely free jumped with one more inch, this can be very useful. Small models would now have 2", mediums 3", and large 4". Know your expected terrain, or you might be buying something that either has no increased effect, or worse yet something you didn't need due to sufficient jumping range already. (Ps- if your table is that vertical, please invite me over! I'd love to play on that!)

SONICATOR RECEPTOR SYSTEM: +2 to RS. Pros: almost like getting a free action per model since it's the same RS bonus as aiming. Cons: small models only , and cost prohibitive. Verdict: Math says you're better off adding more Chasseurs than taking this. Armored Chasseurs it's a push. much like Optical Enhancement, everything else should be trying to get stuck in that can take it. Your best reason for spending on it is if you're maxxed out on weapons you can't duplicate just by adding a couple bodies: PR400s, TSW4000s, and SSW5500s.

STEEL SKIN: +1 armor Pros: arguably the same benefit as Cell Neogenesis Acceleration, for roughly half the cost. Cons: unlikely to cause any major changes. Verdict: for Chasseurs of either flavor, the net result is identical to just buying more models. Slightly worse than that for Mirrormen. It's probably best utilized for lords and small units like Attilas who cannot simply deploy more models.

STINGER-IMPANT SYSTEM: this one breaks the pattern. It's a one-shot short-range or close combat booster. Zero action points for a St13 AVV 0 attack. Pros: this is the "ace in the sleeve" that might turn a critical pivot point when all else fails. Cons: points spent on a one-use device are points that can't interact with the rest of the game. Verdict: if you have the unspent points and can't drop them anywhere else, make sure you take it. It's not quite reliable enough to be must-have, but guaranteed to not be less effective than not spending the points.

SYNTH-BLOOD TRANSFUSION: +1 to Con. Pros: cheap and makes your models more "reliable". Cons: Con won't come into play very much. Verdict: kinda like Myelin Ironisation, this one is a must have if you're finding your regular opponent targets Con all the time, and unnecessary if it's not a major component in your local meta.

WEAPON CYBER-LINK: +1 to RS during aim actions only. Pros: as it's dirt cheap, you may be able to buy it with leftover points. Cons: it's only effective when you aim- if you're concerned about RS, you're probably concerned all the time. Verdict: I think this one comes in nicely for a unit you're expecting to fire base with: sit them in cover, and let them aim & shoot every turn. Aside from that, I think you only pick this up with "spare" points, and even then they might be better spent elsewhere.

WEAPONS OVERHAUL: The St of the unit's weapons (ranged and melee) are increased by one. Pros: one of the few enhancements that is likely to see use from every model, every turn. It also stacks with Mitochondrial Infusion to make great CC hammers. Cons: its cost prohibitive: in Chassuers of both flavors you're better off adding models- even if only very slightly. Verdict: Where you really need it, this is good. In units expecting to engage both in ranged and melee combat, it's a good buy. Across an entire army though it's unproductive.

XLR8 MENINGINAL ASPIRATION: Makes a unit "Fearless." Pros: just what it says on the tin. Cons: it's a pretty hefty cost to avoid a special skill you may not see. Verdict: This one will be dependent on your local meta. If you gaming group sees lots of Fear builds, this will be invaluable. If not, it probably won't matter. At the tourney level, it's probably worth it to have one unit with this to tar pit a fearcauser, because I expect you'll see a lot of them at that level.

So, what's my overall opinion? I think these are a lot better game balanced than I expected. Which means while they're unlikely to turn a game, they do allow you to do many other things. Since there's little in the way of "clear winners" or "avoid at all costs" enhancements, they allow you to thematically tailor your force to suit your needs and play style without compromising efficiency. (Cybertronic should never compromise efficiency- it's unfluffy to do so!) additionally, it they will allow you to "stretch" your force: your buddy wants to play 200 points above what you have models for? Add in 200 points of enhancements without compromising the structural integrity of your list. All in all, while part of me was hoping for a definitive edge (and it's marginally there in boosting characters and heavy gunners), these enhancements are smartly balanced and will not grossly impact the game either way. Used with finesse they will allow a tinkerer to eek out a slight improved performance, but they're not gamebreaking.

Hope you enjoyed this Special Skills review, there's a bunch more coming. See anything I missed? Have questions or comments? Drop them down below! Good luck with your list building, and I'll see you on the other side of the table. Also, please feel free to examine our Mishima review as well.

Friday, December 27, 2013

With new models in hand, B97 & I settled in for a nice relaxing evening of beating each other senseless. To get a better grip on the new Warzone: Resurrection rules, we started with a "Basic" game, and a small point total at that. 600 points. What followed was far from Basic, and sure didn't feel small!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

It's holiday time here at LXG, and Santa Claus has delivered all our favorite kickstarters. As our treat to you, we wanted to share a little bit of the holidays, LXG and Spinespur style. Be warned, what you see, you can't unsee....

Monday, December 23, 2013

Right now there are a slew of games that have zombies, or some facsimile there of, in them. So it may not seem like a huge surprise that there is a Kickstarter out there that is aiming to give us some unique zombie models. 3DForge miniatures has a kickstarter brewing that I think everyone should look at.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

So, as B97 mentioned last week, Spinespur holds a very fond place in LXG's heart. It was our first Kickstarter, first time I'd really gotten to personally sit down with a game designed/owner/creator in a long time (it's frustrating working with a bunch of Nottingham folks while living in Philadelphia sometimes!), tied for first "small box" game that our group all had models for painted and ready to play, and really the only game we're playing in its genre (because, well, anytime we look at anything else skirmish and horror based, we always go "hey, we could just play Spinespur instead.") With Street Chum being released to backers, Mordin and I settled in to play a down and dirty game of Spinespur: Street Chum Edition, with the hopes of shaping it into a regular campaign feature.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

So, it's finally that time where my hard-spent money of months ago is coming back to me in the form of lovely little lumps of resin, metal, and plastic. Very soon I will be tearing into mounds of Warzone and Deadzone figures (what's with everyone and their "zones" anyway? ) as well as the remainder of the Spinespur models. TokenGamerChic is already hard at work painting our (read: her) Dwarven Forge Dwarvenite Tiles. For today, the Iron Brotherhood Rhebok gets it's day in the sun. Or, at least, the sun-equivalent painting lamp, since we all know gamers never leave our dungeons to venture into the daylight.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Next time I have to write an article about how I'm disappointed, I'm going to do it about how I don't have millions of dollars... Because within days the Cosmos responded with Warzone, Deadzone, and Spinespur models. I always shoot too low. Damn. Expect a review of all these products, but I'm starting with Warzone. Whoever said don't judge a book by it's cover never saw this cover...

Monday, December 2, 2013

So 2CE and I were talking this past week, and a realization came upon me. In a few months, it will be a year since we decided to move away from the big game companies. In conjunction with that decision we found a small Kickstarter for a game called SpineSpur. This opened our eyes to the wonder that is Kickstarter for us gamers. But with every passing day I am struck by a singular thought, "I've spent almost a thousand dollars this year on things I haven't played with."

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

I had all kinds of plans of writing about my time a GenCon 2013 when I got home last week. Then I promptly came down with my 4th respiratory infection this year (YAY!). So this is a little later then I wanted. First off GenCon was amazing this year. Last year was my first time, and I didn't realize until this year how much I didn't do last year. I imagine there are tons of things I didn't do this year as well.

Monday, August 26, 2013

I know I haven't called,and didn't write, but i's time o ge the band back together and talk about some awesome miniatures... like this Kickstarter from fledgling Warplocke Miniatures that has to be seen to be believed.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Ok so I've had the book all of 2 hours. But there are 3 things I want to touch on.

First the exchange was so simple, simply walk up and hand them the old rule book and get a new one. As an added bonus, if you bought a starter set, which came with a rulebook here at GenCon, Dark Age gave you the option of exchanging for Conflagration or Devastation. I don't think that was announced, so it was a nice surprise.

Second, the squadlink symbol of the bottom of the new cards. It reads like so, Squadlink (x)(y), meaning when this model is activated you may activate models named x, up to a total number of models y, including the original model. So for example, Blazon (which I purchased) has Squadlink Harpy, Bolas, Buzz Blade (6). So when she activates, I can activate up to 5 Harpies, Bolas, or Buzz Blades with her. Note that I have to activate Harpies, Bolas, or Buzz Blades, I can't mix and match.

Third, and this is primarily for 2CE, as he plays Brood, but it pertains to anyone who plays with a unit that has regeneration. You now automatically regain 1 wound when you activate or the lingering effects pahse. If you are reduced to 0 HP you are not killed, but instead receive a dying counter. If you lose further HP the model is killed, if you regain HP you remove dying counter. IF you remove the dying counter, you stand up for no AP.

Monday, August 5, 2013

For those of you who don't know, Warzone Resurrection is a 28mm futuristic, skirmish game. It is set in the universe of Mutant Chronicles, and is produced by Prodos Games. Aproximately 4 weeks ago, those of us who backed the Kickstarter to fund this project got an advance PDF of the rules, and I'm here to give my impressions and thought on some of the more unique parts.

Monday, July 29, 2013

So of you may have noticed that 2CE and I have been a little scare the past few weeks. As we both do this wonderful thing in our spare time, RL does sometimes have to take precedence. This unfortunately has been one of those times for both of. This doesn't really excuse our not posting anything lately, but it does help explain it. While we may not be able to return to our output rate we had, we are not dead and somethings will be coming very shortly. In fact, I will be posting my first look opinion of Warzone: Resurrection later this week. For those of our fans that have been waiting for something new, we appreciate your patience.

In other news, LXG will be going to GenCon in a couple of weeks. I will be there, and I have some interviews lined up with some of the companies we have been following, but if any of you are going to be there, I'd love to meet you. Send me a note at belgarath97 (at) gmail (dot) com, and we'll try to set something up, I will be there from Wednesday thru Monday.

Again thank you for your patience and I look forward to meeting some of you at GenCon.

Monday, July 8, 2013

On April 22, Dark Age announced a new version of their game was on the horizon. Along with this announcement came a grandiose plan to update the game yearly and to keep the game fresh and new. Since that announcement Mr. Black, the man behind this great game, has gone on a campaign to give us just enough to think we know what is coming, but not really. I thought I would take a moment to review what we know and what we suspect is coming in the new edition.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

So, due in part to games I'm playtesting, in part to the amount of interest we've been getting here on the subject, and in part to B97's continued nagging that I don't beat him in enough different games, I picked up the Dropzone Commander terrain kit and a UCM blister. Oh boy...

Sunday, June 30, 2013

So, if you're like most hobbyists, painting your models isn't exactly your favorite part of the hobby. For most, it falls in somewhere between doing chores and getting a root canal. While it's true that it's not always the most rewarding part of the hobby, it's the part that makes the rest more rewarding. Painting your models is like going to practice, or Leg Day- it's what you need to be at your best and get the most out of what you've already paid for.

The good news is, we live in fortunate times. Several excellent products exist to make your painting duties easier. I'm going to demonstrate the simplest way I know to get a really solid finished product, and link you to each one of those products so you can find out more about them.

Friday, June 28, 2013

LXG has been a fan of Slavetopainting's tutorials for quite awhile. Always offering great tips to use on all kinds of products, as well as offering those products at a reasonable price. When we asked Chief Slave graciously offered to write an article for us. Here is his article on speed painting.

Speed Painting Infinity Nomads

As everybody knows who follows my page Slavetopainting, I am somewhat obsessed with the concept of high quality speed painting at the moment. I suppose that this has largely come about by having two little ones appear on the scene recently and my business growing very quickly limiting the time I have for the hobby. So in my quest to paint good quality table top armies faster and get gaming quicker I have been experimenting with speeding up my techniques with my air brush to get ‘advanced’ effects in a limited time.

A recent experiment of mine was trying to paint a Nomads Infinity faction (worth around 250 points) in under 8 hours. So here we go…

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Something that a lot of hobbyists are taught is that you should thin down your paints. The reasons for this practice a varied. For some it makes the paint easier to layer. Others use thin downed paints to glaze or wash models. One of the most basic reasons is simply to get a smoother finish. For each reason there is a preferred product to use, and this article will cover some of them.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Look at this, LXG goes on holiday and the Sunday News still goes up. Ok it might have something to do with having to finish it Thursday, but still you gotta admit, it's kinda impressive. There's a bunch in this edition, even with it being done 3 days ahead of time. And in what seems to be a trend, there is another announcement at the end.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Dying Star: Oblivion is a Kickstarter that we at LXG stumbled upon last week. 2CE and I were intrigued enough to throw some money at the project, and I'm going to take a moment or two to show you why. Welcome to our Dying Star: Oblivion overview.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Filthy, dirty, slovenly beasts. Oh, and then there's the pigs. The Slaughterhouse Agenda represents the "rural society" of horror tropes- the areas where civilization's shining light never quite made it, and if it id, all it accomplished was casting a deeper shadow.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Among wargamers, there's a "dirty word" generally reserved for the worst type of player at the table- "WAAC." It stands for "Win At All Costs." It is also perhaps the stupidest thing to ever come up in gaming, and that's not an easy prize to win.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

With the upcoming March to Immortality at Gencon- which Belgarath97 now knows he'll be in regardless of local competitions due to it being an Open Event this year- it was time to get in some practice. Especially since the point totals have changed, and all his hard work list building and points maximizing just went out the window.

Today on Guest Writer Wednesday, MadBobby returns with his first in a series of articles looking t the various factions playable in Infinity.

Some time ago I wrote an article for LXG preaching the virtues of Infinity with the promise of another article sooner than later, I have to apologize that life took over as it has a way of doing and later wound up coming much faster than I had anticipated. While I wanted to write the be all end all article to give a brief synopsis of all of Infinity’s various factions and sects, all of which play differently on the table with access to troops and toys that make each one of them unique and distinct from the rest. When I wrote this behemoth of analytical prose it dwarfed some research papers I’d written in college, so for the sake of your sanity, and the hope that you, dear reader will actually process all I’m offering, I’m dividing the meat into several more easily digestible pieces, one article to cover each major faction and each of its sectorial forces. Today you will be treated to Pan-Oceana.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Ok, so if you have been paying any attention you will know that we have been paying a crapload of attention to Dark Age, SpineSpur, and Warzone. But there is another new player to the market that really needs to be given some consideration... Godslayer. In the last week, they have won the "Most Promising Product" award, and release five new products. Been a very busy week.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Ok this is late again, but spending all of 4 hours home on Sunday made it hard to get this down. There are some major things in this week's Sunday news though, so I couldn't forgo it. One of the games we talk about released four new units and won an award. Over 1.5 million dollars went to two of the games we were watching and supporting. We've made some arrangements to add some new contributors for one of those games. Finally, a major announcement about one of our own... and without further ado:

Sandy Petersen and his new Green Eye Games have, with the help of our friends at Fenris Games, are about to become the first "true" Board Game we've discussed at length here at LXG. The reasons... well... the speak for themselves. Through the Dark Aether of Kickstarter approaches... Cthulhu Wars.

For those of us unable to attend Grumpy Old Wargamers this past weekend, Prodos had game demos of Warzone Resurrection up and running- a really good sign that release is just around the corner. While there were only two factions present, it gives us a better look at models- and stats.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Paulson Games has a new wargame coming on the market that I'm very, very excited about. Mecha Front. Now, we tried to get you an exclusive interview with Jon Paulson from Adepticon, but we're run into some technical difficulties on that one. So, for now, we're going to focus on where this awesome game is, and what you can do to get in on it.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Today, Mr. Black made an announcement that made be a giggle like a school girl. (if your not sure what that sounds like, go here) Anyway, today it was announced that this year's March to Immortality tournament will be open to all. The entry requirements for the tournament are simple

750 points

fully painted (I love that stipulation)

attend Gen Con Indy 2013

That's it. Show up and play. Of course now I have to revise my list again. (Just got the 500 points down,

now it's 750, bastards!)

Mr. Black wanted to make sure that, to go along side all the new sexiness of a new edition, that we got a chance to participate. Here is his actual statement.

But, dear players, since this year is all about new beginnings, shaking things up, making changes, I figured one more wouldn't hurt...

And it's with that sentiment that I announce the following:

GenCon Immortals Open 2013

That's right, players, I'm opening the floodgates, just this year, for free competition. What's that mean? it means you show up to Gencon with your 750 point fully painted Dark Age army and you're in- No qualifier needed. I figured let's give everyone a chance this year, as this year is about new beginnings.

So there's your news. Do you feel that spark inside you? The small flame that just kindled? That's the call of being an Immortal. This is your chance, don't waste it.

More information will come along with the release of our new rulebook regarding format and what to expect, but either way, the call has been dispatched, it's up to you to answer.

See you at Gencon...

Oh, and in case you missed it. The winner get's to be immortalized in the game via a unit of their design. Mr. Black showcased the last 4, and if you've been paying attention, you'll notice a sneak peak to the new John Woe card. You can see the first two above. Below are the last two winners. Until next time...

Thursday, June 6, 2013

There's a generalized misconception in table top wargaming that "female models don't sell," or even worse that "female models only sell to women and guys with issues." My opinion has always been that his is due to the way such models are marketed- which is generally poorly. The new Kickstarter from Raging Heroes is out to drive that point home... exceedingly well.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Today HawkWargames released their latest Newsletter, number 19 to be exact. After the quote from Hawk Simon on the forums to look forward to it, I was intrigued to see what was in it. Well it has arrived and I agree with Simon, it was worth waiting for, so let's break this thing down.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

For those of you not following this incredible project, PoweredPlay Gaming has a kickstarter to make lighting your models incredibly easy. As it stands, lighting is only the beginning of the possibilities they have in store- but it might be the only one you get for a while unless you back this kickstarter.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

So, LXG goes on holiday, and Mr. Black over at Dark Age goes on a wild rampage of sneak peaks and announcements. There were a significant amount of new cards released, including some spells, and there are new models (yay!). So without further ado, I will showcase the models and cards with some commentary.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

So we have a new weekly feature that we are unveiling this week. The Sunday News. This weekly feature is a compilation of the newsworthy events of the week for our "stable" of games and companies we support, plus anything else we think you might be interested in. So of this we will have already covered in full articles, but a lot of it might be stuff that just wasn't big enough to write an entire article about. So with out further ado, here is the ...

Saturday, May 25, 2013

The Institution is, to me, one of the most fundamental aspects of Spinespur, and a quintessential collection of horror genre tropes. Let's take a good hard look at the strengths and weaknesses of this Agenda.

Friday, May 24, 2013

All Quiet on the Martian Front is a new miniature wargame currently in Kickstarter status, en route from Alien Dungeon. This game brings back together the colossal dream team think tank of Ernie Baker, Alessio Cavatore, and Rick Priestly- who collectively are responsible for more productions in wargaming than I can reasonably list. Here comes a new game, in (for some) a new scale, with some new twists on an old idea.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Here's the first in what will be an incredibly enjoyable series of builds- applying Poweredplay light kits to a few choice models I'm working on. First up today: the "Deadline" defensive fortification from Firebucket Games.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

So, in case you're brand new to this blog, there's this thing called Warzone. It's a little game based on a tried and true IP that has a devoted fanbase. They had a kickstarter, and nailed it. So what could be so interesting right now? Oh sweet Jervis, we know what the book looks like, and it is sexy.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Today Mr. Black gave us all a sneak peak at what's in store for the new version of Dark Age. I have to say that I did not expect this level of revamp when they announced a new rule book later this year.

Much faster than anyone truly expected crowdfunding has become a staple of the wargaming industry. Projects and properties from unknowns that never would have seen the light of day even three years ago are now able to find $50,000-$100,000 in backing or more, and better known companies are able to rake in ten times that. Is crowdfunding the way of the future for wargaming? Well... maybe- but not entirely for the reasons you might think.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

In the city of Spinespur, holidays are a great excuse to murderface your friends. Mordin56, TokenGamerChic, Belgarath97, and I your friendly neighborhood Second Class Elitist, sat down for an evening of good old fashion violence, LXG Holiday Style. Time to massacre some Muthas!

Friday, May 17, 2013

The Second Class Elitist made me aware of a DUST Tactics tournament occurring in New York City! Not only is this an excellent opportunity for veteran DUST Tactics players to show their stuff, the tournament organizer says many of the players will be relatively new, so even inexperienced players are welcome.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

2nd Class Elitist and I have spent a lot of time talking about the culture of gamers. To both of us the psychology of people, the why? to their actions, is something we both like to examine. Time and again, we have discussed the social contract of gaming. I thought I'd spend some time discussing this topic because all too often gamers forget that without the person on the other side of the table, we can't play.